Marketers are flush with information about us
After receiving a petroleum company card, I paused for a few minutes thinking why this particular piece of plastic is more important or beneficial than any of the others I possess.
What does it do for the company? It tells them where I was at an exact point in time, what I bought and the amount spent. This is important information for marketers.
Now multiply that card by the number we have in our pocket. Expand the concept to the dish, cable and food-delivery service. Do not forget the social media, where the vast majority will share their most personal details. Add to this mix, GPS, cellphone tracking and water-metering data.
Untold companies become successful storing, managing and distributing our information. If you think otherwise, try reading the small print in your agreement contracts.
These service providers are not big government gone berserk. They are examples of commercialism at its best. Just subscribe and push the “sort” button. Anyone can find out when the toilet was flushed; they already know what brand of paper we use.
Meanwhile, our hair catches fire over domestic profilers and hackers employed by foreigners.
Jim Withycombe, Lemoore
This story was originally published September 26, 2015 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Marketers are flush with information about us."